What Are Lungless Salamanders?

Lungless salamanders, as their name suggests, are salamanders without lungs. Salamanders are strange creatures as some have both lungs and gills, retained from their larval form. However, the lungless salamanders are gill-less as well as lungless.

They breathe through their skin and throats, which have a rich blood supply. The animals are sufficiently small that they can gain enough oxygen for their whole body in this way, without needing specialised gas exchange organs.

Lungless salamanders make up 60 per cent of all salamander species – about 200 species in total. They are not very well known despite this, probably because they inhabit damp habitats in the southern Appalachian mountains and have evolved in very isolated places. They are geographically isolated and are also isolated by their habits as they are mostly nocturnal and even then spend all of their time in damp hiding places. Many species live under stones near fast flowing streams where there is plenty of overhead cover from trees and rocks.

Add Comment

Report